Every day, people put their homes up for sale without making some simple preparations. How your home looks in real estate photos and on a prospective buyer’s first visit will have a big impact on how long your house sits on the market.
Don’t let a poor first impression prevent you from making a quick sale, and take some of these simple steps towards making your home look its best.
Tidy and Landscape Your Garden or Yard
The look of your house from the outside will be the first time interested buyers will set their eyes on the property, and you want them to fall in love and see its potential. This will be hard to do with an untidy garden or front yard.
A little bit of landscaping goes a long way, so spend some time over a weekend trimming any hedges or bushes, mowing the lawn, and giving your yard some attention. Cross the street to view your house from afar. Think about what you could add to make it more welcoming and attractive. With a little effort and just a few dollars, you can make a big difference to your property’s curb appeal.
Repair or Resurface Your Driveway
The condition of your home’s driveway is an important part of the first impression your property gives prospective buyers.
If your driveway is cracked, stained, or pot-holed, then you should have it repaired or resurfaced to give it a better look. The money you spend here will come right back to you when you sell your home, adding value as well as desirability. Modern driveway recovery techniques like infrared repair can be very effective on damaged asphalt and can repair potholes, cracks, and remove engrained engine oil and grime.
Repaint Bright Walls to Neutral Colors
Neutral colors add light and space to a room and give people a ‘blank canvas’ to project their styles and taste upon. This helps people see themselves living in the space.
Brighten any dull room with some neutral colored paint. If you have children or teenagers, you may have some brightly colored bedrooms in your home. Make them do their part and repaint the bedrooms to help sell your home.
Breathe Some Life into Your Kitchen and Bathrooms
These rooms are probably the most important to get right when trying to sell a home. You don’t need to fully remodel these spaces to make them ready to sell, however.
You can recover existing kitchen cupboard doors, and replace your countertops quite inexpensively, especially if you can do the work yourself. Give all these areas a deep clean and fix any small issues like leaking faucets or blocked drains.
Declutter and Add Some Smart Storage
Having your home clean and organized helps sell your property. Look for clever storage solutions to clear the clutter and show your home at its best.
You can also use this as an opportunity to sell any furniture or clutter that you don’t want to take with you to your next home. With a yard sale and selling on eBay, you can generate some extra cash to spend on renovations and repairs.
With just a few of the basic preparations, your home will be in much better shape to sell, and should look amazing in the real estate photos!
